Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings are 8-4-3 this season so far, most recently beating the Vancouver Canucks last Saturday night, 5-1 at home. The Kings got off to a strong start, scoring 3 of their goals in the 1st period. Another goal was scored during the 2nd period and a final goal was scored by the Kings during the 3rd. Vancouver scored its only goal of the game during the 3rd period. Scoring 3 goals in 1 period is impressive enough, but even more impressive, the Kings were able pull off this victory with only 5 defensemen playing in the game, which helped to give them an edge early on. Tyler Toffoli scored a goal and had 2 assists, Alex Martinez had a career high 3 assists, and goalie Jonathan Quick had 18 saves.

Because of their shortage of defensemen, the Kings will sign Jamie McBain who has been playing for the team’s AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs. Robyn Regher has been suffering from an injury and Slava Voynov is currently suspended from play due to off-ice issues, although he skated with assistant coach John Stevens on Monday and is allowed to work out with the coaches. He has missed 9 games so far and a decision on whether he will be charged for domestic violence is expected by December 1.

The Kings are familiar with the taste of success, having won 2 Stanley Cups in the past 3 years. In 2012, the Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils in 6 games to claim hockey’s most coveted title. They did it again last year, defeating the New York Rangers in 5 games.

The Kings will next face the Anaheim Ducks, their closest opponent, in Orange County on Wednesday night before hosting 4 home games over the next week. While it’s early on in the season, every game counts and the Kings will need to stay healthy and focused in order to repeat their appearance in the finals.

Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards have started the 2014-2015 NBA season with a strong 5-2 record. In their most recent game, the Wizards defeated the Indiana Pacers 97-90. The Wizards have only lost to the Miami Heat and the Toronto Raptors so far, however they have claimed victory against the Orlando Magic, the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks and the Pacers, twice. In their first game against the Pacers, the Wizards pulled off a 96-94 OT victory. They will face Indiana again two more times late in the regular season.

The Capital City’s NBA franchise announced in late October that they have hired Wale, a D.C. native rapper and loyal Wizards fan as their creative liaison for this season. Some of Wale’s songs will be used for team introductions and videos throughout the season and he will collaborate with the organization in regard to team merchandise and social media efforts.

The Wizards have also adopted a new alternate jersey for this season, which they will wear for Wednesday road games in addition to some specifically selected matchups. This alternate style features navy as the primary color with “Washington” on the front, as well as red colorblocking at the top. 

In late October, the Wizards waived guards John Lucas and Xavier Silias as well as forward Damion James to remain with a 15-man roster. With veteran forward Paul Pierce and guard John Wall leading the way, the Wizards have gotten off to a solid start and will look to maintain this momentum throughout the season. Head coach Randy Wittman said after the Wizards’ practice on Monday, the team must focus on what needs to be done and take it one game at a time.

The Wizards head into a 4 home game stint: first facing the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, November 12. They will wrap up this week with a second home game against the Magic Saturday night, followed by two games next week against the Dallas Mavericks and the Cleveland Cavaliers.